Iowa Looks At Increasing Penalties For Killing Bald Eagles

Why anyone would want to kill such an amazing animal like the bald eagle is beyond me. These amazing birds have come back from levels near extinction and are now thriving in states like Iowa. An new bill in the Iowa legislature would increase the penalties for killing one, and I say raise the fine all you want.

The current fine in Iowa for killing an eagle is $50. A new bill is looking to push that fine up to $2500 which would match the federal penalty for killing the bird that is our national emblem. Senators working on the bill discovered the disparity in the Iowa fine a couple of years ago. They've been working with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to get the fine level raised.

The DNR says that there have been 40 bald eagle deaths in Iowa in recent years, with several birds being shot. Along with raising the fine for killing the bird, experts say that more education is needed to help make people advocates for the animals. Bald eagles are also federally protected under the Migratory Birds Treat Act.